[Asia Economy Reporter Park So-yeon] Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, mentioned that even if a vaccine for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is developed, its efficacy might only reach 50%.
On the 7th (local time), Dr. Fauci stated during an online seminar at Brown University that "It is still unknown how effective the COVID-19 vaccine will be," adding, "It could be 50% or 60%," according to major foreign media reports.
He said, "I hope it will be over 75%, but the possibility of reaching 98% is not high," and added, "This also means that public health measures should not be abandoned."
He particularly predicted that Moderna, which is leading in vaccine development, could release final data in November or December of this year.
U.S. President Donald Trump is aiming for re-election in the upcoming November presidential election. Whether the COVID-19 vaccine development will be completed before then has become a key issue in the election campaign.
Meanwhile, Johns Hopkins University reported that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. reached 4,941,755, with 161,347 deaths as of that day.
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